Tyler Jones wasn’t in Club Erotica, near Pittsburgh, for more than 10 minutes before he knew nothing good could come out of the morning of Feb. 5. But he never expected to find himself in the middle of the biggest scandal in St. John’s basketball history.

Jones said that, upon returning to the team hotel, he went directly to his room, a decision that saved his season and possibly his St. John’s career. He awoke the next morning stunned to learn that five teammates had been part of sexual encounter that ultimately cost three of them their jerseys.

“Every day I think about if I could turn back the hands of time what I would have done differently,” Jones said yesterday in a half-empty St. John’s locker room. “But you can’t do that. You’ve got to take the consequences that come with the actions you take.”

Jones, who was suspended for two games for breaking curfew and going to the club, is expected to play tonight against Georgetown in the Garden. Lamont Hamilton and Mohamed Diakite are not as fortunate.

St. John’s announced yesterday that the indefinite suspensions of Hamilton and Diakite will continue through the end of the season. The university will review both players’ status with the team upon completion of the semester.

A source said it is not certain that both players will be asked to return even if they are model students. Hamilton and Diakite were present in the room when Grady Reynolds (expelled), Abe Keita (suspended from the university for a year) and Elijah Ingram (withdrew) had sexual contact with a Pittsburgh hooker.

Jones’ decision cost him two games of his freshman season, not a third of the season.